the house of cards
holds everything
balance & power
and empty promises
the latter is a given
they could just as well
be broken or hollow
depending upon
the material structure
of the exterior
some say what’s inside
matters more
but when the outer shell
is made so easily
vulnerable
the reality of matter
may already be found
well beyond the kuiper belt
february two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
counting down the days
ten-nine-eight
see me as a babe
light as a feather
flung into the air
by two strong arms
seven-six-five
graduations
weddings
funerals
repetition
four-three-two
growing older
graying hair
in sickness &
in health
one-zero-blastoff
july two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
eyes open
unsure what day it is
shouldn’t take long to solve
what with living in the digital age
late January
sun unseen for days
hijacked by rising temperatures
having chased away the polar vortex
a mad dash
or maybe a marathon
depends who survived the night
counting heads at the breakfast table
early March
the world still at war
looking out the kitchen window
kids play dodgeball in an old minefield
january two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
you breathe easy
you breathe hard
it’s more than just a fine line
what just ran through my mind
a mouse or a sparrow
or a fine white line
you better check on the old ones
and the young ones
they can’t keep after themselves
they keep chasing things
things only they can see
in the backyard
there is a house in the ash tree
neighbor kids climb and get in
—are never seen again
police at front door
issues citation using invisible ink
we offer them sweet tea
and a scotcheroo
but they say no thanks
they gotta go
ask us to keep an eye open
meanwhile we breathe easy
and we breathe hard
one day there is six of us
the next day only five
november two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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